Buddhism is the main religion in Cambodia. The other day, my team had the opportunity to have tea with a couple of monks. They told us why they were buddhist and why they became monks. We told them why we were Christian and why we became missionaries. It was a crazy experience for me to share the gospel with a monk! I got laughed at, but I put the truth out there!
Random Crazy Fact: There is a statue of a fasting Buddah. The Buddhist scroll for it tells about a greater leader that is coming for His people. The Buddah is fasting for that leader. The scroll is totally proclaiming the gospel of Christ! How crazy is it that?! Our God speaks through EVERY THING, even Buddhist statues and scrolls!
The monks sounded like they were only buddhists, because that's just what you do. The whole monk thing seemed to be a way to gain higher education and get out of poverty. They weren't the most radical monks you've ever met…
I am praying that the seeds that were planted during that conversation will blossom. God has done crazier things!
The Buddhists are such a passive people, that the Muslims have begun to take advantage of them. The Islamic people are planning on making Cambodia a Muslim nation by 2021. They have planted several mosques in villages around Cambodia. Every place there is a mosque, it is a symbol that the Muslims have conquered that place. Buddhists are scared to retaliate, because of the power and weapons the Islamic people have.
In all of Cambodia, there are only 7 known missionaries working with the Muslim people. Three of those seven are marrried couples. Meaning, there are only 4 missionary groups working amongst the Muslim people. There was a Korean missionary couple that stopped in front of a local mosque, here in Kampong Cham, and sang worships songs. The couple was stoned to death by the Muslim people. After them, a less forward missionary couple started working in that village. My contact says, she hasn't heard from them in awhile and doesn't know if they returned home or what.
Please pray for God to send more laborers to His harvest. Pray that both the Buddhist and Muslim people would open their eyes to the Truth! Pray for protection and strength for the missionaries that are serving amongst the Muslim people in Cambodia!
